This was ok, but it could have been a lot better. So much of it is pretty dull for the most part and I can't say I really cared for any of the characters. It's a beautifully shot and atmospheric film though and I still enjoy how Saulnier approaches the violence in his movies. Their is a shootout sequence in this that is quite horrific as well as there being some other pretty gruesome moments, but there just wasn't enough of that kind of stuff in this movie.

C+

This wasn't very good. It should have been. Everything about it was there for it to be a great action-thriller, but it just doesn't really do anything exciting with its components. Great cast and location, and a director with some indie pedigree, but the finished film is wildly average. I'm starting to think Saulnier is a one-hit-wonder. Blue Ruin was one of the best films of 2013. This isn't even the best film I've seen this week. None of it really make sense, nothing is really explained, and every ... one ... talks ... and ... moves ... so ... fuck ... ing ... slow ... ly. Geez! And Jeffrey Wright is so damn dull. Not the right choice for the lead. Apart from a massacre-style shootout where not one of the about two-dozen police officers can shoot accurately, Hold the Dark is one big let down. C